Mark Beck lauded as Harrogate Town hero

The 27-year-old centre-forward guided a clever header from Ryan Fallowfield’s right-wing cross inside the far post on 77 minutes to settle Saturday’s League Two encounter.

That strike was the former Scotland youth international’s first in the Football League for the Sulphurites, having been unable to shake off a troublesome hamstring injury that he first picked up all the way back in November, 2019.

“It was great movement inside the box and a superb header,” reflected Weaver.

“He’s a good centre-forward, he just needed a bit of luck like we’ve been saying recently. He’s a player with a lot of ability, not just a big unit up front.

“He’s had to overcome a lot of things, not least a bad injury, but he was a real handful. He was a big problem for Grimsby. We needed a big presence, which Aaron Martin was first half and Becky provided when he came on. He thoroughly deserved that goal. I’m really pleased for him.”

Beck’s goal arrived almost out of the blue after Harrogate had seemed to run out of ideas having dominated the first half, but failed to find a breakthrough.

“Sometimes you have to be patient and grind out the points,” added Weaver. “It’s a satisfying feeling because it felt like it was heading for a 0-0 bore draw, but we found a way in the end.”

Harrogate Town: Belshaw; Fallowfield, Smith, Hall, Jones (Burrell 69); Power, Thomson, Kerry (Falkingham 81), McPake; March (Muldoon 69), Martin (Beck 69). Unused substitutes: Minter, Francis.

Grimsby Town: Eastwood; Hewitt, Pollock (Adams 80), Waterfall, Menayese, Hendrie; El Mizouni, Coke, Matete (Morais,79); Hanson, Payne (John-Lewis 69). Unused substitutes: McKeown, Rose, Green, Habergham.

Referee: T Kettle (Rutland).